The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "The Phantom of the Opera" breezed past the same composer's "Cats" a few years ago to become the longest-running musical in Broadway history.

Last year, the show hit another milestone at the Majestic Theatre when it celebrated 25 years of eight shows a week, with no end in sight.

The musical has employed hundreds of actors in its huge cast, but the fraternity of performers who have played the title role on Broadway and on tour is relatively small because of the vocal and acting demands.

In recent phone interviews, Schulman and Jacoby agreed that the Phantom is the sort of role that becomes an immediate career highlight.

"Whether you love it or not, I think everyone recognizes the exceptional work that went into it," Jacoby said of the Broadway production. "The score, the scenic design -- it's the marriage of all the (stage) elements that make it quite extraordinary."

Although the Phantom's actual time on stage does not qualify it as one of the biggest roles in Broadway history, Jacoby said the physical demands are major.

"You're not on stage all the time, but when you're not, you're working on the make-up, and always moving around to be in place for the next scene," Jacoby said of the way the character pops up in some far-flung locations in the theater (including high above the stage).

Schulman is the only actor to have played Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables," the Phantom, and the title role(s) in "Jekyll & Hyde."

He understands why the Andrew Lloyd Webber hit has outlasted the two other shows.

"I think it has a universal appeal with that `Beauty and the Beast' love story. We've all been in love or in like with someone who did not return those feelings," Schulman said.

"The score is glorious," he added. "I've heard some of it hundreds of times and I never get tired of it."

As a former opera singer, Schulman loves the fact that the show is set in an opera house full of over-the-top performers and backstage intrigue.

The concert that Jacoby and Schulman will be performing in Fairfield allows the trio of stars the chance to sing many favorite songs from other shows, as well as some of the highlights of the Webber classic.

Each performer gets several solos. Jacoby is doing a song from one of his favorite non-Phantom roles, "Guido's Song" from "Nine," and he said there are "fun trios," too.

Mock rivalry between the three actors who have placed their own stamp on "Phantom of the Opera" is also part of the concert.

"It's a lot of fun to do," Jacoby said of these concert gigs in between his acting jobs. "We try to tweak the program from time to time."

"It's a great show, if I do say so myself," Schulman added, chuckling. "I've been doing trio shows for 15 or 20 years and people enjoy hearing these songs from Broadway guys."

Schulman tried to put together a show with three Jean Valjeans from Broadway but said the response was tepid. Concert audiences apparently prefer romance to revolution.

He thinks the longevity of "Phantom" on Broadway versus "Les Miserables" is due to stage management, as well as the nature of the material.

"With `Phantom' they have maintained the integrity of the show, which was not done with `Les Mis,'" he said of the original Broadway productions of the two hits.